Citizen NewsNG 
The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has delivered a decisive judgment further clipping the powers of the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), affirming an earlier ruling that the agency has no legal authority to stop vehicles, seize them, or impose fines on motorists.
The appellate court upheld the judgment of Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha of the Federal High Court, delivered on October 2, 2024, which declared the actions of VIO officers unlawful and unconstitutional.
In a major victory for Lagos-based lawyer Barrister Abubakar Marshal of Falana & Falana Chambers—who initiated the original suit the Court of Appeal also awarded him ₦1 million in costs, deepening the setback for the controversial traffic enforcement body.
Motorists across the country have long accused VIO officials of harassment, extortion, and arbitrary vehicle seizures. The latest ruling reinforces that the Directorate of Road Services, popularly known as VIO, lacks the statutory authority to enforce penalties or confiscate vehicles under any circumstances.
Justice Maha had earlier declared that VIO officers “are not empowered by any law or statute to stop, impound, confiscate the vehicles of motorists and/or impose fines on motorists.”
She also issued a perpetual injunction restraining the VIO, its agents, or anyone acting on its behalf from violating citizens’ fundamental rights, including freedom of movement, presumption of innocence, and the right to own property.
The judgment does not affect the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), which remains Nigeria’s primary and legally recognised federal road traffic enforcement agency.
Reactions continue to pour in as motorists, lawyers, and civil rights groups celebrate the Court of Appeal’s affirmation, describing it as a crucial move toward ending abuses on Nigerian roads.
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